Santu Mofokeng
1956–2020 · South Africa
Lived experience beyond the expected images of apartheid.
The story
Santu Mofokeng began by photographing those around him in Soweto, then worked in the press and with the Afrapix collective. His essays address everyday life, religious practices, landscapes and memory. Train Church observes ceremonies on commuter trains. The Black Photo Album revisits historic portraits of Black families. His work opens up histories beyond the representation of political violence alone.
Understanding the work
Follow connections between text, photograph and archive. Landscapes can preserve stories invisible at first glance; historic portraits also disrupt familiar narratives.
Key works and series
Train Church; The Black Photo Album / Look at Me; Chasing Shadows.
Sources & further exploration
Works in collections.
10 recordsPhotographs to explore on museum and library websites, with titles, dates and processes. Each link opens the collection record and its image where one is available.
- MoMA · 1986
Hands in Worship, Johannesburg–Soweto Line from the series Train Church
Gelatin silver print
- MoMA · 1986
Laying of Hands, Johannesburg–Soweto Line from the series Train Church
Gelatin silver print
- MoMA · 1997
The Black Photo Album / Look at Me: 1890–1950
Slide projection with eighty 35mm black and white slides, plus flash drive
